1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a multi-chamber system and, more particularly, to a multi-chamber plasma process system in which an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) process chamber has a multiple construction, thereby being capable of processing, in parallel, substrates to be processed, such as semiconductor substrates or liquid crystal glass substrates.
2. Related Art
As is well known in the semiconductor industry for manufacturing semiconductor integrated circuitry or liquid crystal displays, a multi-chamber system is put to practical use to enhance productivity. The multi-chamber system has a structure wherein a number of process chambers are arranged either in a cluster type or around a substrate flow path formed by a conveyor or track. In the multi-chamber system, the process chambers are arranged horizontally or stacked in two or more chambers.
In the current semiconductor industry, the substrate to be processed shows a tendency toward an increase in diameter, and the integrated circuit shows a tendency toward a fine pattern, high precision, complication, etc. The result is an increase in complex processes as well as batch processing requests. In this respect, the multi-chamber system facilitates coping with the complex processes, and can improve productivity due to the reduction in processes caused by batch processing.
In order to enhance productivity per unit area, the multi-chamber system is necessary in order to more effectively dispose of each component, and in order to integrate parts which can be integrated. In most multi-chamber systems, each of the process chambers may be inefficient because it has an individual power supply structure. Thus, in the multi-chamber system, there is a need to decrease the area of the facilities and the cost by means of effective integration in the power supply structure.
A plasma process which can be widely used in the semiconductor manufacturing process is very important for the generation of plasma and for the maintenance of a proper density of the plasma according to a process characteristic. In order to effectively integrate the power supply structure, the multi-chamber system having plasma process chambers employing an inductively coupled plasma technique must be designed in order to make sufficient allowance for the supply of ignition power, the supply of high-frequency power, the matching of impedances and the like. Furthermore, the plasma density of each process chamber must be adjusted according to the process characteristic.